A variable displacement compressor adjusts its refrigerant pumping displacement to match cooling load of the air conditioning system. Typically, a control valve is employed to regulate the pressure inside the crankcase of the compressor to match the displacement of the refrigerant to the cooling load. The variable displacement compressor includes a swash plate that is pivotally mounted to a drive shaft by a hinge. The swash plate converts the rotary movement of the drive shaft to reciprocating movement of the pistons inside the cylinder block of the compressor.
While conventional variable displacement compressors achieve their intended purpose, problems still exit. For example, conventional hinges typically have numerous parts that add mass to the assembly and is a source of vibration.
Therefore, a need exists for a swash plate hinge for a variable displacement compressor that has a low mass, few parts and a constant clearance volume regardless of the swash plate angle.